KL Rahul has been around in Test cricket for 11 years and played 58 matches while adapting to four different batting positions. Despite all that has happened to him, he's still in the running. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not playing Test cricket anymore, Rahul now gets the chance to cement his place. This past year, he's opened the batting, come in at No. 3, No. 4 and even No. 6. But ahead of the England series, Rahul might actually get a permanent spot something Chris Gayle too has supported. He made too many changes of position to destroy his consistency. In Australia, in five Tests, he aggregated 30.66 runs with two half-centuries. All of them had him and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening together except the Test in Melbourne when he batted at No. 3. As an opener, KL Rahul played 83 times scored a total of 2803 runs with a pretty good average of 35.04. When India visited to England recently, he really wowed the crowd by hitting a century at Lord's and an 84 at Nottingham. He finished that tour with a solid 315 runs, averaging 39.37. Dude's scored a total of 614 runs in 18 games over there, including two big ones called centuries and a half-century. So, is it a good idea to mess with his batting spot again? Nah, probably not. India's kinda in a pickle since Rohit's calling it quits, and they need someone they can count on at the top. Rahul's shown he's got the chops in English cricket. It'd be cool if he teamed up with Jaiswal to open, and let Shubman Gill, who's still trying to find his groove in Tests, take over the No. 4 spot that's like second nature to Kohli. What's that cricket legend, Chris Gayle, say? Yeah, it's time for Rahul to step up and claim that opening role like it's his birthright. Chris Gayle Commented: “He’s playing a team sport. And I know he’s doing it for the team, as he’s said in interviews. He bats where the captain wants him to. But I think he should stand firm and say, ‘Listen, Skipper, Coach, this is my position’.” Also READ: Key players return as Australia announce squad for WTC Final KL Rahul in England: Batting position Inns Runs HS Ave 100 50 Overall 18 614 149 34.11 2 1 As an Opener 16 597 149 37.31 2 1 At No 3 2 17 13 8.50 0 0 In ODIs, Rahul's been killin' it at both the 4th and 5th spots, with averages of like 56.48 and 55.80, you know? Srikkanth, this old school selector, totally thinks he's perfect for that 4th position. But when it comes to Tests, he hasn't really had a whole lot of chances to show off in the middle of the lineup. This guy's a legit Test opener, right? So, it's about time he makes that spot his own and just nails it for good. KL Rahul in Tests as per batting position: Batting Position Inns Runs Avg 100s 50s HS Opening 83 2803 35.04 7 14 199 No 3 7 112 16 0 1 54 No 4 2 108 54 0 1 86 No 6 9 234 29.25 1 1 101 Overall 101 3257 33.58 8 17 199